Travel Insurance: Don’t Leave Home Without It

Forget your toothbrush. If there’s one thing you really shouldn’t leave home without when going on holiday, travel insurance is it. Regardless of the type of holiday you’re after, whether it’s a relaxing stay with friends or a week on the beach, it’s always worth having insurance cover to protect you against the unthinkable.

Why do you need travel insurance? Mainly because it protects you against financial meltdown. Back home, if you have an accident and need an overnight stay in hospital, or if you fall ill and need medical assistance, it’s generally covered under the NHS. But when you’re abroad, there’s no such safety net and there’s no guarantee that your EHIC card will cover you for everything. Imagine if you go skiing or walking in the mountains, and you fall, break something and need to be air-lifted to a hospital. The cost of the helicopter, medical assistance, hospital space and supplies could mean a hefty bill that runs into tens of thousands.

Some hospitals in specific locations might even refuse treatment if you don’t have valid travel insurance. Don’t take the gamble. Get full financial protection by taking out the right level of travel insurance for your trip. You could book single trip insurance if you’re only going away once this year. Or if you’re a frequent traveller, and even if there’s a slim chance that you might go away again within the next 12 months, it’s usually worth booking multi or annual travel insurance. You can find out more about this online through Thomas Cook, here – http://www.thomascook.com/holiday-extras/travel-insurance/annual-insurance/

Annual travel insurance basically covers you for every trip within a specific time frame, typically 12 months. It’s cost-effective, and it means there’s one less thing to think about next time you go away – leaving you to get on with enjoying your holiday.

When my husband and I traveled extensively thorough Europe, we had travel insurance and a special international health insurance plan, too. I will make sure that we all have coverage next summer when we take our oldest to Europe.